Girl, 14, killed when car crashes into Maywood home: 'This just has to stop'

Handout

Dominique Thomas

Dominique Thomas (Handout)

William Lee and Joe RuzichChicago Tribune

Dominique Thomas was a happy, funny 14-year-old who took her future seriously.

The Proviso East freshman was enrolled in a mentoring program and had attended a college seminar this past summer on engineering and technology.

Early this morning, Dominique was sleeping on a sofa in her family's home in Maywood when a car came crashing through shortly after midnight, killing her and injuring her brother. Police say the driver had been shot just blocks away and veered into the building.

“She was on the right path,” said Barbara Cole, director of the Maywood Youth Mentoring Program, which helps kids in the community deal with everyday problems. Dominique had attended several seminars there at the urging of her parents.

“This just has to stop. It’s senseless,” she said. “There’s been a lot of violence in the community lately. Obviously some kind of war is going on in the community. She was an innocent individual.”

Over the last 10 days, there were two fatal shootings within 24 hours on the 800 block of South 19th Avenue where Dominique's family lives. Police said they were unsure why shots were fired at the car, but said a passenger in the car fled after the crash.

He was still being sought as police question the driver. "He was speaking with officers on the scene," said Maywood Police ChiefTim Curry.

Latonya Wilson, a driver for People Cab in Bellwood, said she drives Dominique's family to places like church and the laundry several times a week.

A 28-year-old man who identified himself as the dead girl’s brother broke into tears when he came upon the scene this morning after being away from home since Saturday and was informed of his sister’s death.

“I never expected that this would happen,” he said.

But he said the family heard “a lot of shooting” in their neighborhood last week.

The brother said his sister had just started freshman year at Proviso East High School. “She was a smart girl and was funny,” he said. “She also liked to dance.”

He said his family has lived in the apartment for five years.

William Lee is a Tribune reporter. Joe Ruzich is a freelance reporter.